


Cairo + Scars + Memories

by kat_atthewisco



Series: Sergeant+Rescue+New Friend [16]
Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Description of serious injuries (nothing graphic), Family Bonding, Gen, Mac is a big brother, some language I think, whole team is just a really cute family tbh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-21
Updated: 2019-08-21
Packaged: 2020-09-23 13:33:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20340937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kat_atthewisco/pseuds/kat_atthewisco
Summary: The team gathers for their usual bonfire, but it’s more somber than usual. Reena gives the team the whole story about the call that cost her her leg, and Mac and Jack finally open up about Cairo.Or, everyone finds out just how tough Reena, Mac, and Jack really are, and they kind of wish they hadn’t.





	Cairo + Scars + Memories

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! Hello! I finished writing this and then... forgot to post it so um  
TA DAAAA HERE IT IS  
so I don’t go into detail about Reena’s story because that was the focus of last chapter, but this is my take on what happened in Cairo.   
Thanks for reading!

BACK DECK, SURROUNDED BY PIZZA BOXES AND BEER  
NOT AS CHEERFUL AS USUAL WHEN YOU’RE LISTENING TO YOUR LITTLE SISTER’S NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCE

“-only other permanent damage was done to my Overwatch, who’s now deaf in her right ear because of how she was turned when it went off.” Reena was saying. 

“We’re glad you’re okay now.” Riley managed. Bozer looked like he was going to be sick. 

“I’ll have to bring Anika around. She was my Overwatch. She grabbed the back of my vest as I saw the sensor. She’s probably the reason I’m not dead.” Jack smiled sadly at me, and I knew he was thinking back to our days as EOD and Overwatch in the sandbox. 

“Don’t really remember much of anything other than flashes of pain and people talking until about what was apparently the third or fourth time I’d woken up in the hospital, according to Anika.” Reena said. “I remember her panicking about how to tell me something and then me realizing I didn’t have a right leg.” 

“I need to meet this Anika and give her a big hug for saving my kid.” Jack said. “Without her-“

“You wouldn’t have your favorite little pain in the ass EOD-turned-spy?” Reena finished, grinning widely. Jack rolled his eyes and Reena chuckled. “Anyway, after that it was mostly uphill. I had a wheelchair for a while til I was strong enough for therapy, then I got crutches and finally I had a prosthetic.” Reena rubbed at the tip of her right leg. I hated calling it a stump, although that was how Reena always referred to it. “It took me a while, but I’m pretty much back to one hundred percent now.” Reena finished. “So there you have it.” 

I looked around at everyone and I was unsurprised to see that everyone’s eyes were glistening with unshed tears, even Matty’s. 

“I still have some burn scars, too.” Reena said. She pulled up the right leg of her shorts and traced her fingers along the outline of a patch of skin that was darker and a different texture than the rest. “Some on my arms,” she said, holding them out. Those I had seen, but never asked about. “I think there’s still some you can see on my face and chest, too.” Reena said. 

“Yeah, there’s a little patch right near your hairline, and a few on your jawline.” I said, lightly tracing along the one on her forehead with my finger. “I had always hoped they were birthmarks.” I admitted. Reena smiled softly. 

“I have to admit, I’m glad you guys all know about that now.” Reena said. “There are some things that just need to be forced into the open.” I squeezed her hand and then Jack and I exchanged glances. 

“It’s our turn, I guess.” Jack said. 

“Hey, the same thing you said goes for you. This is only if you want to do this.” Reena said. I smiled softly at her. 

“Like you said, there are some things that need to get out in the open. Besides, we can’t help each other if we don’t know what the other’s been through.” I said. 

“Alright, well, this was back in our sandbox days, when Mac was an even skinnier little kid.” Jack started. 

“Jack had just signed on for another tour so he could be my Overwatch.” I said, smiling at the memory of Jack climbing into my truck as I waited for my Overwatch. 

“Well I didn’t trust anyone else to watch your skinny ass.” Jack said. “Besides, if I hadn’t, you’d probably be dead, so you’re welcome.” I rolled my eyes. “We were out on a bomb call that went south fast.” 

“It was just Jack and I, and we were on loan to another military base.” I said. “Cairo, Egypt.” Jack took another deep breath. 

“We were the only two that were sent out on a call, because it was supposed to be quick. The description of the threat sounded poorly constructed at best.” Jack said. “It sounded like even I could’ve built it.” Reena chuckled. 

“As it turned out, the call was a setup. A local terrorist cell grabbed us.” I said. This was the part that got hard to talk about, especially for Jack. We exchanged a look and I kept going, knowing Jack would appreciate having to explain as little as possible. “They tossed us in a room for a few days, waited til Jack was a little weaker and I had pneumonia from how cold and damp it was. Then they pulled me out and demanded information. When I wouldn’t give any out voluntarily, they decided to beat it out of me. When _that_ didn’t work, they tossed me back in with Jack, who’d also been roughed up for trying to escape and get to me.” I stopped reluctantly. “After that, it pretty much goes blank until I woke up in the hospital in an amount of pain I wouldn’t wish upon my worst enemy.” 

“After they tossed him back in with me, they shut us in again, and I thought it would just be another round of the same, maybe with me being the victim that time around.” Jack said. Next was the part that I couldn’t remember, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to. “But then the loudest explosion I’d ever heard rattled the building and the room collapsed around us. I managed to shield Mac with my body decently enough, but that got me pretty hurt in the process. We hung out like that, me holding up a sizeable chunk of building and Mac unconscious, beat to hell, and barely breathing, for maybe half an hour? Then it’s foggy for me, too. I do know that my arms gave out and I fell on Mac, and something cracked. My last thought before I passed out on top of him was that I’d let him die.” 

“But he hadn’t!” I picked back up. “I felt like death for a while, but I was very much alive. I had multiple broken and cracked ribs, some burns, I think a gunshot wound even, and quite a few stab wounds. Almost bled out before a team rescued us.” 

“I got off light with some cracked ribs and a couple broken bones in my leg and arm.” Jack said. 

“I do not call internal bleeding ‘getting off light’, Jack.” I deadpanned, giving him a sidelong look. 

“Compared to you, it was a walk in the park, boy genius.” Jack said. “You had torture injuries _and_ explosion ones. I only got exploded.” 

“Oh, only exploded?” Reena asked sarcastically. “Well in that case I’m not sure I see what the big deal is.” Jack rolled his eyes at Reena before noticing a stray tear that had fallen down her right cheek. 

“Hey, hey, it’s okay, kiddo.” Jack said. “We’re just fine now. All that’s left is scars and memories.” Reena smiled softly as Jack tucked her up against his side. 

“Well I think that’s enough reminiscing over trauma for today.” Bozer managed. Reena nodded, leaning into Jack’s touch. 

“Here’s to our favorite people surviving trauma so they could later become our favorite people.” Riley said, holding her beer high. 

“I’ll drink to that.” Matty said, clinking her bottle with mine and then Riley’s. After that, the mood lightened considerably, the quiet replaced by our usual chatter and laughter. 

Later that night, Reena and I had finished cleanup while Bozer did the dishes and the three of us were headed to bed together when Reena stopped on the hall, grabbing my elbow gently. I turned to face her, concerned. 

“Mac, could I…” she hesitated. “Would it be okay if I slept in your room tonight? I can take the floor, I just need someone in the room.” I nodded, a soft smile on my face. 

“Hey, I know better than most what you’re feeling.” I answered. “My bed’s big enough for the both of us. Go get changed into jammies and get your blanket and come hop in bed when you’re ready.” Reena smiled gratefully, pulling me into a quick hug before darting into her room. I headed into mine, quickly changing into pajama shorts and a t-shirt. I was tossing my clothes into the laundry as Reena came in, blanket, pillow, and stuffed lion in tow.

“I am so beat.” she said, tossing her things on the bed. “I could probably sleep until dinnertime tomorrow. Or even breakfast time the day after.” 

“Yeah, me too.” I said. “But unfortunately, I’m willing to bet we’ll get woken up at the ass crack of dawn by one of our phones going off because Matty’s calling us about a case.” 

“Yippee.” Reena said. “I love my job, but sometimes I wish criminals were a little more understanding of the people that have to catch them.” 

“Sometimes I think criminals don’t even need to sleep.” I said as Reena and I climbed into bed. “It feels like they just work on their evil schemes for days on end, and then we hear about them, then _we_ don’t sleep for days on end while we work to catch them.” 

“It’s a never ending-” Reena cut herself off with a yawn, “cycle.” 

“Definitely time for bed.” I said. “NIght, kiddo.” 

“Night Mac. Love you.” 

“Love you, too.”


End file.
